Fake billing scam

There are cases where you are billed by email for what you do not recall.
In this email, for example, you may be asked to pay for a paid porn program to a specified bank account, and it may say “if you do not make your payment within 3 to 4 days, your payment will be collected in person, incurring an excessive extension fee”. This is a typical example of fake billing scam.

Malicious dealer sends this type of baseless billing email randomly.
Also, lately, there are cases where you receive an actual billing statement.
If you ignore a real billing statement, you may be in trouble later. Consult the police or the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan when you receive a billing statement which you do not recall.

One-click scam

This type of scam tries to make you think that you have agreed on a contract when you visit the scam website, showing a message for example, “a usage fee is incurred; please pay immediately”.
There are also cases where it is written for example, “we have identified your personal information from your IP address; we will send a billing statement to your ISP company.”

Phishing scam

This type of scam sends you an email spoofing as an actual bank, credit card company or EC website, leading you to a fake (but looks just like the actual) website and tries to steal your important information (user ID, password, credit card information).

How to defend yourself from fake billing scam

You do not have to pay if you do not recall. You can just ignore it.

Even if it says, “your payment will be collected in person”, DO NOT pay the written fee. If you pay even once, you may be billed again and again.

Also, do not send an email to or call the sender for confirmation.

If you give your phone number to the sender (or malicious actor), you may be billed through phone from the next time.

Do not just pay as instructed but consult an expert in the following cases: If you receive the same email again and again, threatened, maliciously collected in person, or you remember the payment but have not purchased it on your will.

How to manage one-click scam

Normally, agreements are not made by just making a click on a website.

In order to make an agreement, the following conditions should be fulfilled.

• Dealers must make clear on the page before the purchase that the agreement is a paid service. Its price must be shown on that page too.
• Dealers must prepare a page which confirms if the consumer wants to make the paid agreement. This confirmation page should have a message such as “Your agreement will be made on these contract details. Are you sure?” allowing the consumer to cancel the contract.
• The agreement is made when the above-mentioned conditions are fulfilled and when a notice (such as email) is sent to the consumer that the agreement has been made.

Please check if the website you visited is fulfilling the above conditions.

Also, be sure to know that it is impossible to identify a specific person from an IP address like it says on a one-click scam website. ISP companies do not respond to disclosure requests by such dealers.

How to defend yourself from phishing scam

Normally, financial organizations and EC websites do not ask you to enter your personal information through an email.

If you receive an email asking you to enter your personal information, always check with the financial organization or EC website which is shown as the sender before entering your information.

If you become a victim of a malicious actor, consult the police.
The following contact also gives you advice.

Internet Hotline Expert Network (only in Japanese)